2026 NFL Draft Prospect Profile - WR Makai Lemon

Player Description

Name: Makai Lemon

School: USC

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: Junior

Height: 5'11

Weight: 195 lbs

Draft Projection: Early to Mid Day 1

Strengths:

• Elite-level ball skills

• High-level athlete

• High football IQ

• Explosive off the line of scrimmage

• Extremely reliable hands — very few drops

• Possesses positional versatility as a kick and punt returner

• Fluid hips that allow quick change of direction

• Capable of varying speed to create separation on short and intermediate routes.

• Exceptional ability to win contested catches despite his frame

• Able to play through contact

• Savvy and nuanced route runner

• Excellent coordination and body control

• Consistent at gaining substantial yards after the catch

• Effective at exploiting soft spots in zone coverage

• Skill set ideal for a West Coast offense

Weaknesses:

Although he has documented positional versatility, there is limited evidence to suggest he can consistently produce on the outside.

His usage and success have largely come from alignments that minimize exposure to more physically imposing defenders.

Lemon’s smaller frame makes him vulnerable to being crowded or redirected by bigger, more physical defensive backs. As a result, he projects more naturally as a slot receiver, where he can maximize his quickness, leverage, and diverse release package to create early separation. Operating inside also allows him to avoid prolonged contact at the line of scrimmage, an area where his size can be a disadvantage.

Because of his lack of size and length, Lemon offers a relatively limited catch radius. While there have been instances where he has executed difficult, high‑degree‑of‑difficulty catches—such as his end‑zone grab in Week 6 against Michigan—those plays are more the exception than the rule. At the next level, these types of contested catches may become even less frequent given the increased physicality and length of NFL defenders.

Despite his strong proficiency on short and intermediate routes, Lemon does not possess the long speed necessary to consistently threaten defenses vertically. Film study shows that most of his wins come from working inside, using savvy route running and tempo manipulation to separate. However, he has rarely demonstrated the ability to beat defensive backs over the top, limiting his projection as a true deep threat.